The Snow Queen
Now published by David Fickling in Magic Beans. Click here to order from Amazon UK. Also available as a separate e-book. Click here to order from Amazon UK.
Gerda didn’t know that Kay had splinters of ice in his heart. How could she know?
Writing tip
Imagine the Snow Queen coming to your town. What is she wearing? What does she look like? How do you feel when you see her? Draw a picture of her, and write a story or poem about her.
The Snow Queen is a re-telling of one of my favourite fairy stories. The original was written by Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), and I have always thought of it as the most powerful story I have ever read. In 1994 I was asked to dramatise it for Radio 4, and I got to know it really well. The Queen must be one of the most evil figures in children’s stories, and Gerda must be the bravest girl. When I was asked by David Fickling if I would like to re-tell a fairy story for his series at Scholastic, I knew it must be The Snow Queen. I had recently visited Norway, and I enjoyed describing the white wilderness of the world of ice and snow and glaciers. The Snow Queen herself continues to haunt me – she appears very briefly in Zzaap and the Word Master.
